Altered States

Season one, episode 19

In Altered States, Xena and Gabrielle agree to hide a 12-year-old boy who has run away from home after learning from his mother that he was to be sacrificed.

Although there was much more to speak about in this episode, I loved I loved it just to see Gabrielle high on henbane. I’m not sure that telling Xena that she is beautiful whilst under the influence of drugs qualifies as a subtext moment but I’ll take my subtext where I can find it.

Mayal: “I don’t know who or what you are, but this business is none of yours.”

Xena: “My name is Xena, and the way I see it half a dozen men going after one small defenceless boy kind of makes it my business. Call it my maternal instincts.”

Little did we know . A bit of foreshadowing for a future season.

Karl Urban played Mayal in this episode. He goes on to play other roles in Xena and Hercules so joins the Hall of Recycled Actors gallery.

Disclaimer: ” No Unabating or Severely Punishing Deities were harmed during the production of this motion picture.”